The takeout order I could never get right at home (until now)
Tell me it’s not just my kitchen where homemade beef and broccoli comes out chewy, no matter how nice the steak was. Anytime I try to recreate Asian takeout at home, the beef dishes never turn out as good as the restaurant.
So after seeing how well ground turkey worked in my Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowl and Thai Basil Ground Turkey Stir-Fry, I decided to try the same idea on my all-time FAVE: beef and broccoli. This Ground Beef and Broccoli is what came out of it, and it’s more affordable, faster, and pretty much foolproof even if you’re new to cooking Asian dishes at home.
It’s a skillet full of broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper, a pound of ground beef broken into tender little crumbles with crispy edges, and a soy-ginger sauce with a splash of fish sauce for depth (Justin’s secret trick, and I totally stole it!) It got happy plates from both of my boys, which is the BEST review in our house 🙂
What 4 rounds of recipe testing revealed:
You’ll need more sauce than you think. Ground beef has way more surface area than sliced steak, so it soaks up sauce like crazy (which is why it tastes ah-maaazing). I made up the difference with water, so regular soy sauce or tamari works without buying a reduced-sodium bottle.
A potato masher is my secret to tender beef. An old trick from a friend: mash the beef into fine crumbles as it cooks, then let the edges crisp before the sauce goes in.
The first sauce read too tangy. Fish sauce did the trick. Just two teaspoons, and I promise- it won’t taste fishy at all!
Load up the veggies. Bell pepper and carrots cook at the same rate as the broccoli, so everything comes out the perfect crispness. Make sure to turn the broccoli often and pull it when it’s bright green, since the little florets burn on the hot spots.
No wok needed. A nonstick skillet that can take the heat is what I use (some ceramic-coated ones can’t, so be careful), and cast iron works too.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: 85/15 is what I use. Ground turkey or chicken both work, just add 1-2 extra tablespoons of oil to the skillet since they’re leaner and won’t release as much fat.
- Broccoli: One medium head, cut into small, even florets so they cook at the same rate as the carrots and peppers. Bigger florets need an extra minute or two, so cut them down rather than cooking longer.
- Matchstick carrots: The pre-cut bag from the produce section saves you the shredding. If you’re cutting your own, keep them thin so they finish with the broccoli.
- Soy sauce: Regular is fine here, no reduced-sodium needed. Tamari makes it gluten-free (and double-check that your fish sauce is labeled gluten-free too).
- Fish sauce: Don’t skip it, and don’t swap it. Any brand from the regular grocery store works.
- Sriracha: Optional, and it’s the only heat in the dish. One teaspoon is a warm background hum, two is noticeably spicy, so leave it out for a mild crew.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Cook the veggies first.
Get the broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper going in the hot oil and stir them often until they’re bright and just tender. Scoop them out onto a plate so they don’t overcook while the beef browns.
Brown the beef, then add the aromatics.
Cook the beef in the same skillet, mashing it into fine crumbles as it goes, and once it’s no longer pink let it sit a minute or two so the edges crisp. Stir in the garlic and the white parts of the green onions just until fragrant.
Pro Tip: Don’t rush the crispy-edge minute. That’s the step between “tender crumbles” and “soggy pile,” and it only works if the beef is spread out and left alone, so give it the whole skillet and resist stirring.
It saves SO much time!
Since it’s super important to get the garlic pretty small for this recipe, a garlic press like this one is a lifesaver!
It’s easy to use, finely minces the garlic, and does it in a fraction of the time as chopping it up by hand.
Whisk up the sauce and pour it in.
Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a measuring cup while the beef cooks, then pour it over the beef.
Let it thicken.
Give it a couple of minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, then loosen it with the extra water a tablespoon at a time until it’s as saucy as you like.
Toss it all together.
Return the veggies to the skillet with the green parts of the onions, toss to coat, and serve over rice.
Oops! What Did I Do Wrong?!
My sauce is too thin. Keep it bubbling over medium another minute or two and it’ll tighten up as the cornstarch does its thing, and hold off on the extra water until it does. If it’s still loose, stir a teaspoon of cornstarch into a tablespoon of cold water and pour that in.
My sauce is too thick or gloppy. That’s the easy one. Add the extra water a tablespoon at a time with the heat on, stirring between each, until it loosens back up.
It tastes too salty. Splash in a little more water and let it simmer a minute, and serve it over plain rice to soak some of that up. Next time, tamari instead of soy usually reads a little softer, and there’s no need for the reduced-sodium bottle since the water is doing that job.
My broccoli went mushy (or has burnt spots). Pull it from the pan the second it’s bright green, even if you’re not done with the other veggies, and give the burnt florets a stir to move them off the hot spots. Next time, cut the florets a little bigger and keep everything moving.
The beef is greasy. Tilt the pan and spoon off a tablespoon or two before the garlic goes in. 85/15 shouldn’t need it, but fattier beef will.
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Ground Beef and Broccoli Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 pound 85/15 ground beef
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 medium head broccoli cut into florets
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 4 green onions thinly sliced, white and green parts divided
- 1 cup water divided (¾ cup + ¼ cup)
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha optional
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Serving
- cooked white rice
- toasted sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Once the oil is shimmering, add broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are bright and tender. Remove from the skillet and set aside.2 tablespoons avocado oil, 1 medium head broccoli, 1 cup matchstick carrots, 1 small red bell pepper
- Add the ground beef to the same skillet and cook, breaking apart, for 7-8 minutes, or until no longer pink. Use a spatula or a potato masher to break apart the meat into fine crumbles. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 1-2 minutes more, or until the edges begin to crisp.1 pound 85/15 ground beef
- Add garlic and the white parts of the green onions and continue cooking for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant.3 garlic cloves, 4 green onions
- Whisk together ¾ cup water, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, fish sauce, sriracha (if using), toasted sesame oil, ginger paste, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl or measuring cup.1 cup water, ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 1-2 teaspoons sriracha, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Pour in the sauce and cook over medium for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Add the remaining ¼ cup water, one tablespoon at a time, to reach your desired consistency.1 cup water
- Stir in the cooked vegetables and the green parts of the green onions. Serve over cooked white rice and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, if desired.4 green onions, cooked white rice, toasted sesame seeds
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Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to Serve with Ground Beef and Broccoli
Rice is the obvious answer, and my How to Cook White Rice or Instant Pot White Rice can be going while the skillet’s on. Coconut Rice is the upgrade if you want it to feel a little more special, and Cauliflower Fried Rice keeps it lighter.
Since the skillet already has three vegetables in it, you don’t need much else, but a cold Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad on the side is the crunchy, cooling thing that makes it feel like a real takeout spread.
More Easy Stir-Fry Recipes
Once you’ve got the sauce-in-a-measuring-cup thing down, these come together just as fast. Same skillet, different night.
